10 Stop ND Filters Compared - $10 to $360

[jalofanclub]

5:24 Polar Pro Quartz Line - Brass, multi-coated, thin, great sharpness and minimal color cast, expensive
6:12 B+W Select - vignetting, ok color - Matt may have confused this with MRC110? not sure
7:14 Formatt Hitech Firecrest - coated, loss of sharpness
7:39 F Stop Labs - coated, aluminum, cool color cast, and loss of sharpness
8:28 Breakthrough Photography X2 - Green Shift
9:05 Breakthrough Photography X4 - TOP CHOICE, Brass, Great Grip, Weather sealed
9:45 Hoya Solas IRND - Cuts IR, Non-Coated, Good Color, some vignetting, slight loss of sharpness
10:28 Formatt Hitech Firecrest ULTRA - $$$, yellow cast, thin
10:57 ICE - Blue cast, same as F Stop Labs
11:11 Heliopan 10 - de-saturated, closer to 10.5 stops
11:46 Tiffen XLE AXENT - Specifically to cut IR, yellow cast, not recommended
12:37 B+W MRC110 - Color shift, vignetting
12:57 B+W XS-PRO MRC Nano - 2nd Place, Wider might not fit hood, fantastic color overall
13:24 SINGH-RAY Mor Slo ND10 - Expensive, not a good value
14:09 Newer Slim 77 - Blue color cast, not sharp

[andinbriwel]

This is the exact type of gear video that is actually helpful for real photographers!

[randyfox]

Matt, thank you SOOO much for going through an extensive list of ND filters. Many of us would love to be able to do such a comparison but obviously, the wallet would disagree.
You saved us from spending where we shouldn't and offered different levels of glass-depending on the said wallet.
MUCH MUCH appreciated, sir! (and ditto for all the links too)

[jaritsu]

It seems like gear comparison reviews like this have fallen out of style, which is a shame. This was a great comparison of ND filters and I literally just recently bought the B+W (110) basically based on the brand because the reviews for ND filters I found were old, or just not very informative (lack of sample images and such).

Good job, not a super exciting video but I love it. Keep up the great work :)

[jujagthemag]

This is the most significant reasoning of using the internet—guys sharing knowledge skills and ability. Thanks

[zuleyhaseker]

This is amazing, one of the most useful video I have seen in this area. Thank you so much Matt!

[teleking]

I do a fair amount of long exposure photography. I used a bunch of different cheapie brands of screw on filters for my various lenses for the first few years when I was dabbling in this style. Eventually though I went to square/rectangular filters. I have cobbled together various brands to get to my current set up. I use a Nisi filters frame system because it has a built in polarizer, a WalkingWay 10 stop glass filter and a set of Zomei resin filters for the grads and coloured effects. Works very well for me but installing and removing the whole set up takes quite a bit of time every time you use it. When I shoot this way it's usually the only type of shots I intend to take on the outing. I will also shoot the same spot or area many times over months or even years. For casual users the screw ons are fairly quick to install and remove but you lose the option of being able to stack filters and being able to use graduated filters to knock down the sky. I did find it easy enough to adjust white balance in post with the cheapie screw on filters when I started with this technique but the current set up requires very little if any white balance adjustment.

[peconicgp]

Great video! I really appreciate how you took the time to double check to ensure the filters that were off were given the chance to show it wasn't a camera abnormality. Builds a lot of credibility taking the time to do that. And I am not just saying that because I have the X4, ha! I think this shows how like most things in life you get what you pay for but the most expensive usually isn't always the best and depending on where on the value curve you want to fall, there can be good choices at every price range.

[MrNoodle]

I use Hoya, it was nice to know you've mentioned its of decent quality for a reasonable price, I've got into one exposures over the last 2 years and started to collect various nd types from them, and most prober by keep with them for now and the near future.

[actionphotopassion]

Thank you for this nice comparison review. I use one specifically to eliminate the crowd in touristic areas. Works well for people that are passing by, less with those that are slacking 😅

[michaelyoung]

I use a few filters, but only when necessary. The two filters I use the most are my variable Polarizing Filter (or obvious reasons) and 10-Stop ND filter (Long Exposures). I opted for the screw-mount option B+W filters. The polarizer is fantastic. The 10-stop ND does a really nice job but does require some color correction at the end as it has a mild green color cast. A quick move to magenta on the slider in LR usually does the trick with relative ease. Both filters were under $150 a piece.

[mightychow]

Thank you, Matt, for this review. I've been using Breakthrough filters and have been thinking of switching to a less expensive brand. BUT this just reinforced that I have made the right decision from the start.

[FraserKillip]

I use the Breakthrough magnetic system. I really like it because you can screw on the holder, frame the shot and get a test exposure then simply snap on the filter and away you go

[MiaogisTeas]

Overall I think I like the Hoya filter the best, seems to be a nice middle ground and not too expensive. Great stuff Matt, keep these practical comparisons and tutorials coming.

[dtaviation]

I created a camera profile for mine with the ND on (and off), so the colours look the same both ways. It’s quite interesting to see the differences between the ones you’ve tested, thanks

[artistjoh]

Great review. I use Lee 100mm and 150mm systems because of greater creative control but there are times that the simplicity and lack of bulk of screw in filters are attractive. It has always amazed me the vast differences in filter quality and performance from brand to brand.

[dundas]

Great video Matt, made my selection a lot easier. Ended up with the top end B+W as I have had a good experience with them in the past.

[foresterphotography]

Thanks for the shootout Matt. I'm a bit sad you didn't use NiSi too, but I understand that you can't test every brand.
I found them to be the best in my tests for color, sharpness and while Haida was good too they were flaring much more when pointed at the sun (I used Haida, LEE, B+W, NiSi).

[barclayjb]

Thanks Matt. I did my own research (reviews on the web) and settled on the Breakthrough 4X 10 and 6 stop. I feel good that you came to the same conclusion with your detail testing. I started my ND filter experience with a variable ND from Promaster and was immediately disappointed.

[PeterCat]

Thanks for taking the time to test out all those filters. Glad to see I've had money well spent. Been using Breakthrough's X4 filters for years now and love them. While ND filters are expensive, I look at it the same as purchasing a tripod, buy a good one from the start and you'll end up saving in the long run. Singray must have a great marketing team though to still be in business selling their way over priced filters. But then again there are those who think it's the most expensive so it's got to be the best.